Garment hanger



Dec. 2, 1947. E. J. AJAX GARMENT HANGER Filed Feb. '11, 194e //VVENTOI?ERIC .7. AJA x 96 M g@lliilll I] Illlllll ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 2,1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to garment hangers and more particularly to animproved hanger'that may be used for suspending trousers, skirts or thelike.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved garment hangerof the suspension or bracket type and to provide a single or multiplewall mountable garment hanger. It is a further object of the inventionto provide an improved garment hanger construction which is capable ofholding garments of widely varying thicknesses and to provide a hangerconstruction which is capable of being used in a suspension type hangeror bracket type hanger. It is a further object of the invention toprovide an improved article of manufacture capable of being fabricatedinto hangers of the suspending or bracket type.

Other objects of the invention are the provision of an improved, allmetal, hanger construction of especially stable type capable of beingmanufactur'ed at low cost from readily available materials.

Other and further objects of the invention are those inherent in theapparatus herein illustrated, described and claimed.

The invention is illustrated with reference to the drawings in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of a multiple hanger of the wall mounting type;

Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along the lines4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the inventionshowing the hanger of the hook type; and

Figure 6 is a plan view of the apparatus shown in Fi ure 'Ihroughout thedrawings corresponding nu- Inerals refer to the same parts.

Referring to the drawings the hanger which may be of either the wallmounting single or multiple type r of the hook type utilizes the samebasic hanger unit, Referring to Figure 1, each hanger element iscomposedof a main hanger strip generally designated H3 which ispreferably of metal bent into the form of a pivot eye, as shown at H,and is provided with two extending legs l2 and it, Leg I2 is the longestand forms one of the garment gripping surfaces. It is provided with anofiset portion at M and has a bent end at it so as to permit easyentrance of the garment in o the hanger as hereinafter escribed. The leg13 extends from the eye H and in a direction away from leg I2 alongportion l6 and is then bent at I! in a direction so that it graduallyapproaches the leg l2 where its end 18 is terminated at approximatelythe middle of the offset I4 of the leg l2. The resiliency of the memberIEI causes the leg [3 normally to move towards the leg I2. The entiremember l0 may be formed cold or may be formed and then heat treated toobtain the desired strength and resiliency properties. The end of theleg l3 is provided with a rectangular aperture 2!) as shown in Figures1, 2 and 3, and through the aperture there is attached a clip 2| whichis riveted at 22 to the center of a gripper bar generally designated 25.The gripper bar forms the second garment gripping surface and ispreferably made of channel shaped strip having a cross section,indicated at 25 in Figure 4. The width of the channel 25 is such thatthe end l8 of the short leg I3 is received within the channel flanges25A and 25B, and thus the gripper bar 25 is provided with reinforcementagainst misalignment at the pivotal attachment 28-2l. At the same timethe gripper bar is able to oscillate freely in the direction of arrows26 and 21, and thus the ends 28 and 29 of the gripper bar 25 arepermitted to move into contact with the long leg l2 of the hanger oragainst any thickness of garment that is placed in the hanger. Thegripper bar is provided with an offset bend at 30 which corresponds tothe ofiset hi so as to provide a space for the seams of trousers and thelike which usually occur at approximately the center of a trouser leg.

The basic hanger element just described is used in either the hook typehanger shown in Figures 5 and 6 or in a single or multiple wall mountingtype hanger of the type shown in Figures 1 and 2. Where used in thesingle or multiple wall mounting there are provided a pair of angularlydisposed bracket plates 32 and 33 which are provided with one or moreapertures to receive screws 34 by which the brackets are attached to avertical surface such as a wall or door. The bracket plates 32 and 33extend horizontally at 36 and 31 and are spaced apart a distancesufficient to receive the width of the strip 19 of the hanger andprovide slight clearance. A pivot is provided at 33, and is preferablyof tubular form having an outer diameter 39 which fits snugly into thepivot loop or eye I l of the hanger. As illustrated in Figure 4 thepivot is a tube which is turned down at each end 40 so as to provideshoulders which are received in apertures of the same size in thehorizontal portions 36 and 3'! of the bracket. The rivet is then spundown, as illustrated, and is firmly locked to the bracket plates, andthus holds them in spaced relationship. The distance between theshoulders 4| and 42 is such that the plates 36 and 3! are maintainedapart a distance just slightly greater than the width dimension D of thehanger member Ill. Hence, the hanger moves freely about the stationarypivot 38 and the pivot forms a spacing element for the plates 36 and 3?,and hence holds them immovable.

Where a single hanger element ID is utilized the bracket plate is shapedso as to provide room for only one pivot 38. However, the preferredconstruction includes two or more hangers l0, four being illustrated inFigure 1. When thus mounted the surfaces 36 and 31 of the hangers arecut diagonally along the line 45 and the pivots 38 are inset from thisedge by a suitable distance along the line 46-41. The spacing betweenthe pivots illustrated at dimension S is made sufiicient so that thehangers II] when loaded will lie parallel to each other, as illustratedfor the hangers l0, 10A and IUB in Figure 1 and for the dotted lineposition of hanger 10C. Enough spacing is allowed so that the hangerswill lie parallel to each other when loaded with a garment of maximumthickness capable of being handled by the hanger.

When it is desired to load or unload the hanger, it may be swung to thposition shown in full lines for hanger IOC and the garment may thus bereadily inserted through the outwardly divergent tips l5 and 3 l. Thehanger is moved apart at tips I5 and 3| and this causes the bar 25 topivot on its rear tip 29, forcing the long and short legs l2 and itapart. As the garment is drawn fully into the space between the long legl2 and the gripper bar 25, the gripper bar levels out and stabilizesagainst the garment, regardless of usual variations in thickness fromside to side of the garment. Any of the hangers IDA, B and [DC may bepivoted outwardly for loading and unloading, and when loaded or in theidle position they may be swung back to the position shown in Figure 1so that the garments or idle hangers are thus brought parallel to thesurface on which the hanger 3233 is mounted.

In the modification shown in Figures 5 and 6 the basic hanger element 10is provided with a hook made of strip material 59 having a hook portion5! of a size such that it may be hung upon the usual closet rod or pole.The depending portion 52 of th hook has a widened lower portion 53 atthe bottom through which there are inserted spaced rivets 54 by whichthe hook is fastened to the offset M of the hanger element. In this waythe hanger element is immovably attached to the hook.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to beunderstood that I do not limit myself to the specific embodiments hereinexcept as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of apivot eye and'having integral horizontally spaced generally parallellong and short portions extending from said eye, the short portion beingterminated at about the middle of the long portion, and a gripper barpivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the shortportion of the resilient, member, said bar being positioned so as to bein resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilientmember.

2. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal,said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and shortends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout themajor portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loopso as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent theloop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, astiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to thewidth of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the longextending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attachedadjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positionedbetween said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long endby the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripperbar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar ismaintained aligned with the short end and the long end.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that the long endand the gripper bar are offset away from each other at their middleportions.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 further characterized in that the gripperbar is of C-shaped channel cross section with its open side away fromthe long end of the frame bar and of a width such that the short end ofthe frame bar nests in the channel.

5. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of apivot ey and having integral horizontal spaced generally parallel longand short portions extending from said eye, the short portion beingterminated at about the middle of the long portion, a gripper barpivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the shortportion of the resilient member, said bar being positioned so as to bein resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilientmember, and means attached to said resilient member for supporting thegarment hanger.

6. A garment hanger comprising a resilient member bent in the form of apivot eye and having integral horizontally spaced generally parallellong and short portions extending from said eye, the short portion beingterminated at about the middle of the long portion, a gripper barpivotally attached at about the middle thereof to the end of the shortportion of the resilient member, said bar being positioned so as to bein resilient gripping relation against the long portion of the resilientmember, and a bracket having a vertically positioned pivot extendingthrough the pivot eye in said resilient member.

'7. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal,said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and shortends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout themajor portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loopso as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent theloop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, astiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to thewidth of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the longextending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attachedadjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positionedbetween said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long endby the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripperbar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar ismaintained aligned with the short end and the IOng end, and meansattached to the resilient strip for supporting it substantiallyhorizontal and with the axis of the pivot-loop portion substantiallyvertical.

8. A garment hanger comprising a frame bar of resilient strip metal,said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with long and shortends extending therefrom, said long end being straight throughout themajor portion of its length, said short end being bent adjacent the loopso as to extend a short distance away from the long end adjacent theloop and then gradually towards the center portion of the long end, astiff garment gripper bar having a width approximately equal to thewidth of the frame bar and a length approximately equal to the longextending end thereof, said gripper bar being pivotally attachedadjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positionedbetween said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long endby the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripperbar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar ismaintained aligned with the short end and the long end, a bracket havingparallel horizontal plates above and below the frame bar and a pivotextending through said plates and through the pivot-loop of the framebar.

9. A multiple garment hanger comprising a bracket having means thereonfor attachment to a vertical surface, said bracket including ahorizontal plate having a plurality of vertical axis pivots mountedthereon, a plurality of garment hangers one pivotally mounted on each ofsaid pivots, each garment hanger including a frame bar of resilientstrip metal, said strip being bent so as to form a pivot-loop with longand short 6 ends extending therefrom, said long end being straightthroughout the major portion of its length, said short end being bentadjacent the loop so as to extend a short distance away from the longend adjacent the loop and then gradually towards the center portion ofthe long end, a stiff garment gripper bar having a width approximatelyequal to the Width of the frame bar and a length approximately equal tothe long extending end thereof, said gripper bar being loosely attachedadjacent its center to the short end of the frame bar and positionedbetween said short and long ends so as to be urged against the long endby the resiliency of the short end, the connection between the gripperbar and the terminus of the short end being such that the gripper bar ismaintained aligned with the short end and the long end, each of saidhangers being mounted upon one of the pivots of the bracket with thepivot through the pivot loop of the hanger, said pivots beinghorizontally spaced apart a distance to allow the hangers to'be swung ontheir pivots to positions substantially parallel to each other andsubstantiall parallel to the vertical surface.

ERIC J. AJAX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 789,180 Spruce May 9, 1905917,314 Knuth Apr. 6, 1909 1,713,704 Lobel May 21, 1929 1,889,942Claflin, Jr Mar. 7, 1933 1,936,813 West et al Nov. 28, 1933 1,992,356Dary Feb. 25, 1935 2,127,333 Hall Aug. 16, 1938 2,210,184 Sitter Aug. 6,1940

